Sulky-rake.



Patented Nov. 20,1900.

, W. LINCOLN.

SULKY RAKE.

Application filed Aug. 21, 1900.-

5 Sheet s-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 662,078. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

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SULKY BAKE.

7 (Application filed Aug. 21, 1900.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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e e %1. v I @515 Y Gtf'owmgo No. 662,078. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

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SULKY RAKE.

(Application filed Aug 21 1900.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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- Patented Nov. 20, I900. W. LINCOLN.

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aAppIication filerl Aug. 21, 1900.:

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 (No Model.)

Emma-m hxm DU line/men No. 662,078. Patented Nov. 20, I900.

W. LINCOLN.

SULKY. BAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 21. 1900.:

(No Model.) 5 sums-sheet 5.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVARD LINCOLN, OF ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE STERLING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

SULKY-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 662,078, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed August 21, 1900. Serial No. 27,615. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARD LINCOLN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Rock Falls, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sulky-Rakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sulky-rakes, and contemplates certain new and useful improvements therein whereby they are rendered more efficient in use and less liable to become disabled from shocks and jars, especially those incident to dumping.

The object of the invention particularly is r to improve the dumping mechanism, and this I accomplish by the devices and in the manner hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sulkyrake embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of portions of the dumping mechanism which constitute my invention, the other parts of the rake being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the positionof the parts shown in Fig. 2 when the rake-teeth are down. Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the position of the same parts when the teeth are elevated. Fig.

0 5 is a similar view showing particularly the so-called self-dumping mechanism.

The head of the rake is indicated by A and consists of a steel angle-bar, to which the rake-teeth a are secured in any suitable 5 manner.

13 indicates a pole or thill-frame, which is hinged at b to the head A, as indicated particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the axial centers of the hinges being in line with the axial centers of the axles 10, uponwhich the draft-wheels O are mounted to turn freely. The axles 10 are secured to the ends of the head A by means of clips 11, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, and the head A and the axles can thus have a turning movement independently of the wheels and the frame B for the purpose of dumping the load from the teeth.

The rake is equipped with self-dumping mechanism and also with hand operated 5o dumping mechanism. The self dumping mechanism in itself forms no part of my present invention; but it will be briefly described in order that the cooperation of my invention therewith may be fully understood. There is a ratchet-wheel 12 on the hub of each wheel, with the teeth of which the pawls L are adapted to engage. These pawls are rigidly connected to the ends of a rod L, which I is supported to turn in brackets 14, secured to the rake-head, and is provided with a crank L in its central position.

13 indicates a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to a bracket 15, and the rearwardlyextending portion of this lever is provided with a segmental slot 16, through which the crank L extends. The bracket 15 is supported on the frame I). It is obvious that by depressing the forward end of the lever 13 the rod L will be rocked in its bearings and the pawls L caused to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels 12, which-will effect the turning of the head A, and thereby lift the rake-teeth to dump the accumulated load, as is well understood.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, D indicates a hand-lever, which is pivoted at its lower end on a pin (1, supported in brackets 01, mounted upon the frame B. Upon the same pin the angle-lever E is pivoted. The forward arm of this lever is pro- 8o vided with a footpiece 17, which normally rests upon the lever D, as is shown in Fig. 4.

To the other arm of the lever E are bolted two plates or castings 18 and 19, and a pin 20 extends through these plates and the end'of the lever E. A pair of links F are pivoted at one end on the pin 20 and lie outside the plates 18 and 19. These links are also pivotally connected intermediate their ends to a bracket 21, rigidly secured to the rake-head A. Beyond their pivotal connections with the bracket 21 the links F curve upwardly and their ends are connected by a cap 22, which is rigidly secured to them. Between the outer ends of the plates 18 and 19 a rod 5 G is pivoted, and this rod also extends through an opening in the cap 22. Acollar 23 is slidably mounted upon a rod and may be held in any desired position by a set-screw 2 1, and between this collar and the cap 22 a coiled spring H surrounds the rod G.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that thepivotal connection ofthe rod G with the plates 18 and 19 is above a line y y drawn through the center of the pivotal connection of the links F to the bracket-21 and through the center of the pivot of the lever E, and also that. the center of the pivotal connection between the links F and the end of the lever E is slightly above the line. WVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, it is evident that the tendency of the spring H, which is under compression, is to lock the joint between the lever E and the links F, and thereby hold the rake-head A and itsteeth in a raking position. The plates 18 and l!) are provided with lateral projections sat their outerends, which engage with the lower edges of the links F when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3 and limit the upward movement of the joint between the links F and the lever E.

If it is desired to dump the rake by hand, the operator will pull the lever D toward him, and on account of its engagement with the footpiece 17 on the lever E the-latter will move with it. This will result in breaking the joint between the lever E and the links F, and as soon as the pivotal connection of the rod G and plates 18 an 19 passes below the line 11 y the spring H will exert its force to aid in bringing the parts to the position shown in Fig. 4, and this will greatly aid the operator in dumping the load carried by the teeth. It will be observed that when the teeth have been fully lifted to a dumping position the spring H will have expanded to its full extent and that a space is left between it and the head 22. In rakes of this character the rake heads and teeth are so balanced that as soon as the dumping mechanism is released the head will start quickly on its return movement, and this is desirable and necessary; but unless some means is pro- ,vided to check the downward movement of the rake the contact of the teeth with the ground is very liable to injure the teeth and to cause a heavy jar and strain to the machine. By so arranging the'parts that when the teeth are at their highest position there will be a space between the springH and the head 22 the rake-head is free to start quickly and freely, just as though the spring were not present, and it will nearly reach its lowest position before the spring will exert any material retarding action upon the downward movement. The spring will, however, serve to check without entirely stopping the last part of the down ward movement, and so there will be no tendency to injure the teeth or to jar or strain the machine. As soon as the joint between the rod Gand the plates 18 and 19 moves above the line 3 ythe action of the spring will be reversed, and instead of acting merely to retard the downward movement of the teeth it will exert its pressure in a direction tending to elevate them; but as the movement in this direction is limited by the projectionss itwill be very slight, and as soon as the projections s engage the links F the joint will be again locked and the rake willbe pre vented from rebounding and will be held dewn'to its work and prevented from rising n nder the influence of heavy loads. Of course it will be understood that after the spring H has fully expanded it will cease to be an aid to the operator in lifting the load and the last part of the lift will be accomplished by the hand-lever alone; part of the lift the assistance of the spring is not important.

When it is desired to use the self-dun] ping mechanism, the hand-lever D will not be brought into play and will remain in its normal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. In order to bring the self-dumping mechanism into action, I provide a lever J, which is pivoted at one end to a bracket 7c, secured to a brace K on the frame B. This lever extends across the plates 18 and 19, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, these plates being provided with lugs 26, between which the lever extends. The lever J also extendstacross the lever 13, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5. Normally this lever will engage the plates lSand 19, but will be out of contact with the lever 13. VVhen' the operator desires to put the self-dumping mechanism into operation, he will put his foot. upon a footpiece 25, secured to thelever J, and depress the lever. The first result will be that the downward pressure upon the plates 18 and 19 will break the joint between the lever E and links F and permit the spring H to come into action, as before described. The farther down ward mo vement of the lever J will rock the lever 13 on its pivot, which will result in rocking the rod L and bringing the pawls L into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels 12, when the rake will be dumped by the onward movement of the machine. The operator will then release the pressure on the lever J and the rake will fall and be locked in its lowered po sition, as before described.

It will thus be seen that the spring H aids in lifting the rake both when the hand-operated dumping mechanism is employed and when the self-dumping mechanism is employed. It will also be seen that the same spring serves to prevent a violent contact between the teeth and the ground when the rake returns to its lowest position, and also serves to lock the rake in its working position.

Without restricting myself to such details of construction as are illustrated and described, I claim- 7 l. The combination with the draft-frame and draft-wheels,of a rake pivotally connected to the frame and Wheels, a lever mounted upon the frame, a link connected to the lever and but as this is the easiest 1 IIO the rake, a spring interposed between the lever and link, said spring being under tension when the rake is in raking positionand acting on the lever and link to'lock them in position to hold the rake to its work, and means to change the positions of the lever and link relatively to each other to release the spring and permit it to elevate the rake, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the draft-frame and draft-Wheels,of a rake pivotally connected to the frame and wheeis,alink F pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the rake, a lever E pivotally jointed to one end of the link, a rod having a sliding connection with the other end of the link'and a pivotal joint with the lever E, a spring interposed between the rod and link, said spring being under tension when the rake is in raking position and acting to lock the joint between the lever and link and thereby hold the rake to its work,

and means to change the relative positions of the joints between the lever and link and the rod and the lever to release the spring and permit it to elevate the rake.

3. The combination with the draft-frame and draft-wheels,of a rake pivotally connected to the Wheels and frame, an angle-lever pivoted on said frame, a link pivotally connected at one end to one end of one arm of the lever and, at a point intermediate its ends, to the rake-head, a rod pivotally connected at one end to the said lever-arm and having a sliding connection with the other end of said link, an adjustable collar on the rod, a coiled spring on the rod between the collar and the end of the link through which the rod passes, said spring when compressed tending to move the link and lever-arm out of a straight line, a stop to limit such movement in one direction and means to positively move the link and lever from such limited point of movement beyond a straight line in the opposite direc tion, substantially as set forth.

t. The combination with the draft-frame and draft-wheels,of a rake pivotally connected to the frame and Wheels, a lever pivoted on the frame, a link connecting the lever to the rake-head, a rod pivotally connected to the lever and slidingly connected to the link, and a compressible spring on the rod engaging the link, said spring by its expansion aiding to elevate the rake, and by its contraction serving to retard the downward movement of the rake, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the draft-frame and draft-wheels,of a rake pi votally connected to the wheels and frame, an angle-lever E pivotally mounted upon the fra1ne,'a bracket rigidly connected to the rake-head, a link F pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said bracket and at one end to the lever E, a plate connected to the lever E and projecting beyond the end to which the link is connected, a rod Gr pivoted atone end to said plate and having a sliding con nection with the other end of said link, a collar on the rod, a spring interposed between the collar and the end of the link through which the rod slides, a projec tion .9 on said plate to engage the edge of the link when the parts are in one position and thereby lock the parts against movement under the influence of the spring, and means to rock the lever E on its pivot to permit the spring to exert its force, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARD LINCOLN.

Witnesses:

A. J. BURDIOK, E. C. WINTERS. 

